Method of providing articles with one or more colored bands or stripes



Nov. 3, 1931. ,K 1,830,662

METHOD OF PROVIDING ARTICLES WITH an: OR MORE COLORED BANDS on STRIPESFiled Jan. 9, 1950 7\ PRIME-i2 Bop COLOR Ax" v I a O 55.4. INVENTOR-(z/4,945.9 f. 171/4.

Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT! OFFICE CHARLES E. KAIL, OFBIN GEAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIGN'OR TO A. & J' MANUFACTUR- ING COMPANY, OFBINGHAMTON, NEW YORK MOD PROVIDING ARTICLES WITH ONE OR MORE COLOREDQANDS OR STRIPES Application filed January 9, 1930. Serial No. 419,493.

My invention relates to a method of roviding articles with one or morecolore bands or stripes circumferentially around the body thereof andintermediate the ends thereof.

The use of color and combinations of colors both in a decorativecapacity and in some distinctive and characteristic fashion todistinguish goods of a particular manufacture is well-known and at thepresent time very popular. With certain types of articles, however,either because of the size, shape or character of the articles, orbecause of the price at which they are sold in the trade limiting theamount which may be spent on their production, do not readily lendthemselves to the use of distinctive colors or color combinations. Thehandles of kitchen tools and utensils such as egg beaters, knives,forks, spoons, spatulas,

cake turners, etc. are illustrative of such articles.

I have devised a method, however, whereby distinctive colored bands orstripes contrasting with the body color of thehandles may be easily andcheaply applied to such handles, and such method constitutes minvention.

Although I have illustrate and will describe my invention as applied tothe handles of articles like kitchen tools or utensils, it will beobvious that the invention is not strictly limited thereto and is ofbroad application.

I am aware of course that there are various methods by which a coloredband or bands may be placed around the body of an article such as byrolling the same thereon, stencillng,

painting, transferring, printing, stamping,

etc. None of these methods, however, are entirely satisfactory inapplication to such articles as the handles of kitchen tools for thereason that they are either too expensive or that the result is such apoor quality of color band application and the-appearance of thefinished handle is of such character as to detract from the sales appealthereof rather than increase it. Theuse of such methods as entirelyeliminate these objectionable features and to provide a method wherebysuch color bandin may be accomplished in an attractive and commerciallyacceptable manner..

Other objects and advantages will be apparent as the descriptionproceeds, reference now bein had to the figures of the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this ap plication, illustrating the varioussteps of the invention and a means utilized in carrying it out, andwherein like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawin v Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the varioussteps of my invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of an apparatus such as may be used in carryingout my invention. 1

Figure 3 is an end view of a portion of such apparatus.

Figure 4 is a detail view illustrating one of the parts of theapparatus.

I will first describethe various steps of V my invention and then oneform of apparatus which may be commercially used in carrying it out.

The reference character A refers to a plain handle, of wood or othersuitable material, such as is commonly used on kitchen tools andutensils and which it is desired to provide with a body color and withone or more bands of a different color. Assuming that the handle A hasbeen properly cut to size, smoothed as by sanding or otherwise preparingthe material of the handle, it is first given an all over coating ofsome suitable primer which renders the surface of the handle readilyadaptable to receive and retain the coloring materials to be placedthereon. The handle may receive this priming coat in many ways such asby placing a quantity of the handles in a vat containing the primingsolution, by spraying the primer thereon or by dipping the handles in atank of the primer solution. For illustrative purposes, I have indicatedinFigure 1 a tank 1 which'ma contain the primer solution and into whicthe handle A may be dipped for this purpose.

The handle with the coat of primer thereon is indicated in Figure 1 as Band is of course allowed to dry before being subjected to the nextsucceeding step of the process. Any suitable means for racking anddrylng the q handles may be provided.

ping the handle downwardly lnto a tanker.

vat of the body color solution and slowly withdrawing it therefrom in amanner and by an apparatus to bedescribed. This coatmg of ha y color ispreferably an over all coatmg and the handle after having been subjectedto such coating is indicated in Figure 1 at C. The tank or vat of bodycolor solution is indicated at 2. The handle with the body color appliedis now thoroughly dried in any desired-or suitable manner and is thenready for the next step of the invention, namely, the application of thecolored band or stripe on the handle. It should be stated at this oint,however, that the application of the Body color just described may be bymeans other than dipping, such as spraying or the like, although thedipping is to be preferred because of the even application of the coat,

of body color.

The next step of the invention is to dip the handle having the bodycolor into a tank or vat such as 3 containing the striping colorsolution. The depth to which the handle is immersed in the stripingcolor solution, de-

. pends entirely upon what position on the andle it is desired toformthe colored stripe or band. The handle is dipped into the stripingcolor solution to the desired point at right angles to the surface ofthe solution and carefully lowered into the solution to the desiredpoint on the handle where it is desired that the stripe shall appear.The handle is then withdrawn from the solution slowly and dried. Thisleaves the handle with the apearance of that shown at Din Figure 1name-.

y with a portion ,thereof covered with the bod color and the lastlydipped portioncolore with the stri ing color. With proper care used inthis ippingoperation, the result will be that at exactl the desiredplace a on the handle, there will e a fine clear line of demarcation ofcontrasting colors'at the point where the body color leaves ofi' and thestriping color begins. This line will be at right angles to the lengthof the handle and if the bod color coating-was permitted to properlybefore the a plication of the striping co or; solution, t ere will be nospreading or blurat this line. Furthermore,

because of the dipping, there will be an even and uniform application ofthe striping color right up to the body color line.

After this application of the striping color has completely dried, thehandle, is again dipped into the body color solution in tank After thisdipping operation the handle is.

again allowed to dry and if only one band of'color on the handle isdesired, the handle may then be dipped into a solution contained in tank4 of a transparent glossy finishing lacquer or other suitable material,this coating'being an over all coating, which after the handle is driedgives to it a fine glossy finished appearance ready for use on the toolor utensil which may be attached thereto. It will be understood ofcourse that this last coating of the finishing material may be appliedother than b dipping inasmuch as the care required in t e application ofthe body color and striping color in the formation of the stripe orband, .need not be used.

If, however, it is desired to place another stripe, either of the sameor another color on the handle, the handle after having received thesecond dipping of body color and therefore having the appearance ofth'ehandle indicated at E in Figure 1 may after drying, be again dipped into'the striping color solution in tank 3, which sblution may be the samecolor as previously used for the first stripe, indicated at 5, or adifierent color. Duringthis operation, the handle is dipped into thestriping color a distance which will bring the upper line of the striing color to the desired spacing from .the rst stripe 5, leavingofcourse a section'of the body color therebetween. Naturally the same'care should be taken with this dippingloperation' as before describedand upon wit drawal. of the handle from the striping colorsolution,

the handle will have the appearance indli er drying,- t ev contrastingcolor or colors, which may be of any desired width or at any desiredposition on the'handle, depending upon the dipping operations towhichthe'handle is subjected.

It should be stated here that obviously an desired number of stripes ofthe same or di ferent colors may be thus applied to the handle by merelymultiplying the number of dipping operations above explained. Likewise,it will be understood that if desired,,

the last dippin operation into the body color solution in tan 2, may beutilized to place .a colored tip on the end of the handle of a colordiffering from either the body color or the stripe color or colors, orboth. This is, of course, accomplished by merely changing the color ofthe solution in tank 2 or substituting another tank of color solutiontherefor.

After the desired number of stripes have been placed on the handle, andthe dipping operations incident to such stripes have been completed, andthe handle dried, it is again subjected to the application of a coat ofthe finishing lacquer of tank 4 either by dipping, spraying orotherwise, whe eupon, after the drying, the handle is ready for use.

I wish to emphasize again the importance of the dippin steps oroperations which serve to provi e the handle with the stripes or bands.This method of placing the stripes on the handle is far superior both inthe quality of the work performed and in commercial feasibility than anyother methods now known and being used. It insures straight lines forthe bands, obviates spreading of'the colors, insures uniform applicationof the coloring materials and. is adaptable to articles of various sizesand shapes. with equal facility.

The foregoing description of the various steps of my method has been inconnection with a single handle but it will be understood, of course,that many handles are simultaneously subjected to the various stepsofthe process. The number of handles which can e simultaneously providedwith the stripe or stripes in accordance with this invention is limitedonly by the size of the apparatus used, including the carrying racks andthe tanks'containing the solutions.

To illustrate one form of apparatus which is commercially practical forcarrying out this invention, I have shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4mechanism for performing the various operations. This mechanism includesa framework 7 provided with suitable supporting legs 8, a shelf 9 forsupporting the various solution tanks'and a pair of cross braces 10 and11 providing supporting means and bearin s as will hereinafter appear.

upported upon the upper side of the member 11 are a plurality ofbearings 12 for a shaft 13 of any desired length, depending upon thenumber of units making up the apt paratus, One end of this shaft 13 maybe provided with a relatively large worm gear 14 which may mesh with arelatively small worm 15 of the armature shaft of an'electric motor 16suitably supported on a bracket 17, carried by one of the side frames 7.The gearing 14 and 15 is illustrative only, it being understood that anydesired form of reduction gearing may be employed whereby a very slowuniform rotation is imparted to the shaft 13.

Suitably secured at spaced intervals to the braces 10 and 11, as bybolts l8 are upstandf ing supporting arms 19 extending above the frameand provided at their upper-ends with supporting shelves 20. Mountedupon the shelves 20 at the front and rear sides thereof in brackets 21are pulleys 22 over which passes a cable 23 the rear depending end ofwhich has secured thereto a suitable counter balance 24. A frontdepending end of the cable 23 is attached to one end of a slide 25extending downwardly past the front edges of the brace members 10 and 11and suitably guided for vertical sliding movement with respect theretoin strap or guide bearings 26 provided on such brace members 10 and 11.The lower end of this slide 25 has secured thereto a carrying membercomprising a cross piece 27, the ends of which are provided withdownwardly extending spring fingers 28 adapted to removably receive andhold a rack 29 provided on one side with a plurality of pins or otherfastening devices to which the handles to be treated in accordance withthe method above described are suitably secured. The racks 29 may beprovided at' their ends with pins 30 adapted to be received in suitableopenings provided in the lower end of the spring fingers 28 whereby tohold the racks and handles securely in aligned relation andparallel withthe surface of the coloring solution in the tank which may be positionedbelow the same and in alignment therewith on the paltform 9. Thehandles, of course. are placed on the racks at right anglesto the planethereof. Whenit is desired to remove one of the racks 29 from thecarrier 27, it is necessary for the operator merely to spread theresilient ends 28 sufficient to permit removal of the racks therefrom. i

The relation of the carriers 27 and 28 and the racks carried thereby,and the tanks of coloring solutions positioned beneath them, is suchthat the carriers may be lowered by the operator to bring the handlesinto dipdescribed.

In order to remove the handles from the solutions in the tanks at a slowuniform" speed, and without danger of angularly displacing them withrespect to the coloring solutions, and thus to insure an even anduniform application of the coloring material to the handles, there isprovided on the shaft 13 at points past which the slides 23 are adaptedto move, rollers 31, the peripheries of which are preferably providedwith a covering or facing of some suitable material such as leather andindicated at 32. These rollers are preferably mounted in brackets 33carried by-a base member 34 suitably secured upon the'upper brace member11, and are provided withopenings 35 through which the slide 25 passesand by means of which it is guided in its vertical movement. The rearsurfaces of the slides 25 are preferably roughened or provided with afacing of rough material 36 such as sand paper, which is enga eable withthe periphery of the roller 31. bviously therefore, if any ressure isexerted against the opposite side of the slide 25' whereby to causeitsfrictional engagement with the roller 31, such roller will upon rotationof the shaft 13 cause the slide 25 to be moved vertically. Inasmuch asthe shaft 13 and rollers 31 always move in one direction, namely,in thedirection of the arrow in Fi ure 4, any such movement of the slides 25by the rollers 31 will be upward.

It may be stated that normally the slides 25 do not engage with thesurfaces of the rollers 31 with such friction as to make efli'ec L tivethis driving connection.

Slidable upon the base member 34 toward and away from the slide 25 is aclutch member 37 provided with an idle roller '38,,the periphery oflwhich extends beyond the end of the clutch member 37 and is adapted toengage with, the front side of the slide 25. The clutch member 37 isslidable upon the base 34 by means of the pin 39 passing through a slot40 in such base member 34. A bracket 41 is provided on the end of thebase member 34 opposite the bracket 33 and rotatably supported in thisbracket 41 is a pintle 42 upon which is eccentrically mounted a wheel ordisk 43 adapted when rotated to one position, to engage a spring pressedpad 44.

' 38 therewlth and press such slide into frictional engagement with theroller 31 whereby the slide may be moved upwardly thereby.

An operating handle 45 is secured to the pintle 42, whereby theeccentric 43 may be so, operated. The springs 46 on the pad 44 serve asa cushion means or shock absorber in the operation of the clutch deviceand cause the engagement of the roller 38 with the slide 25 to e a moreor less resilient engagement.

3 Y The operation of this device is as fol lows :The operator firstinserts a rack 29 carrying the handles to be dipped at any one of thedipping operations desired, in the carrier member 27 and 28, and lowerssuch rack, and with it of. course the slide 25, until the handles areimmersed in the solution in whatever tank is bein used for thatparticularroperation, to the desired depth or point. This he is easilyable to observe by looking downwardly into the tank and of course, hemay, if desired, provide any suitable marking means to govern the depthof insertion of the handles. .When he is ready to remove the handlesfrom the tank, he merely operates the handle 45 to rotate the eccentric43 to engage the clutch member 37 through its roller 38 withthe slide 25whereby to place such slide in driving engagement with the roller 31.Thereafter, the operator may leave the device if he desires and attendto another unit and. the rotation of the shaft 13 and the.

roller 31' will very slowly, gradually and uniformly raise the slide 25and consequently the handles on the rack 29 out of the solution in thetank. When the upward movement is suflicienttopermittheremoval of thehandles for disposition in the drying apparatus provided, the handle 45may again be. turned to relieve the clutching engagement between therack 25 and the roller 31 whereupon such upward movement stops. Thecounterbalance 24 is such as to prevent the return downward mofiement ofthe carrier 27 and 28 into the tan Although only two units have beenillustrated in the drawings and only one described in detail of parts,it will be obvious that as many units as desired or necessary may beutilized and because of the simplicity of operunderstood that thecarrying out of my invention is not limited to such an apparatus asothers obviously might be used to adequately perform the steps of theinvention.

By my invention, therefore, I have provided a method for placing uponarticles one or more-colored bands or stripes about the bodies thereofwhich consists in the dipping operations as heretofore'described andexplained. Of course, changes ma be made in details without departingfrom t e spirit and scope of my invention. I do not WlSh to be limited,therefore, other than by the appended, claims.

I claim:

1. The method ofplacing a colored stri e aroundthe body of an articlecom rising t e steps of coating the article with aody color, drying thecoating, dipping the article partially into a solution of contrastingcolor, drying thesame, dipping the article partially into the solutionof said body color to leave a colored stripe thereon, and drying saidarticle.

2. The method of placing a colored stripe around the body of an articlecomprising the steps of coating the article with a body color, dryingthe coating, dipping the article partially intothe solution ofcontrasting color, drying the same, dipping the article partially intothe solutionof said body color to leave a colored stripe thereon, anddrying said article, and coating said article with a transparentfinishing material. I

'3. The method of placinga colored stripe around the body of an articlecomprising the steps of coloring said article, dipping the articlepartially into a solution of contrasting color, drying the article, andagain dipping said article partially in at'so'lu'tion of The structureof all the ioo color contrasting with said striping color, to leave'astripe of the first named contrasting color around said article.

4. The method of placing colored stripes around the body of an articlecomprising the steps of alternately partially dipping the article insolutions ofcontrasting color materials, the extent of each dippingbeing such as to leave spaced contrasting colored stripes around saidarticle, and drying the article between each dipping operation.

5.- The method of placing colored stripes around the body of an articlecomprising the steps of coating the article with a body color, dryingthe same, dipping the article partially in a striping color solutiondrying the article dipping the same partially in a solution of I saidbody color to leave a stripe, drying the same, dipping the articlepartially in said striping color solution to a point spaced from saidfirst formed stripe, drying the same, and

, partially dipping said article in said body color solution to torm asecond stripe.

6. The method of placing colored stripes around the body of an articlecomprising the steps of coating the article with a body color, dryingthe same, dipping the article partially in a striping color solution,drying the article, dipping the same partially in a solution of saidbody color to leave a stripe, drying the same, dipping the articlepartially in said striping color solution to a point spaced from sadfirst formed stripe, drying the same, and partiall dippin said articlein said body color so ution to orm a second stripe, drying the same andapplying a coating of transpzi'ent glossy finishing solution to saidarti e.

7. The method of color striping a body consisting in alternately dippingsaid body into v 0 contrasting color solutions and successivelyshortening the quantity or length of the body inserted into the severalcolor solutions after each dipping operation. k

In testimony whereof, I aflix may si ature.

CHARLES

